Renew Expiring Philippine Passport? Eligible for US Citizenship in 5 months

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Hello everyone,

I am a Philippine citizen, female, and a US permanent resident with a 10 year green card. I will be eligible to apply for US citizenship in December 2014, just 5 months from now--and it is a step

I intend to take. My Philippine passport is expiring in November. I have not renewed it since I got married to a US citizen here in the US three years ago, so it still bears my maiden name.

My question: should I renew my passport now (together with name change), or is it better to wait until after I acquire my US citizenship? Does it make a difference?

I intend to retain Philippine citizenship as well, i.e. have dual citizenship. Is that a separate process I need to apply for at the Philippine embassy, or can I just keep both my (renewed) Phil passport

as well as my new US one when the time comes?

I tried checking the Phil. embassy website but the information on this is not clear.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Ian H. 207]

Technically when you become a US citizen you are required to renounce any and all former citizenships or nationalities you may have. However, if the Philippines allow and recognize dual citizenship, then it wouldn't matter if you renewed your passport now or later. Just make sure they both show the same name otherwise you may have trouble traveling. I became a USC through my mother and legally changed my name, however my Dominican passport shows my old name. I never renewed it and I don't intend to ever travel with it so in my case it's irrelevant. You have to be sure if you lose any rights under the Philippines by becoming a USC.

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Hello everyone,

I am a Philippine citizen, female, and a US permanent resident with a 10 year green card. I will be eligible to apply for US citizenship in December 2014, just 5 months from now--and it is a step

I intend to take. My Philippine passport is expiring in November. I have not renewed it since I got married to a US citizen here in the US three years ago, so it still bears my maiden name.

My question: should I renew my passport now (together with name change), or is it better to wait until after I acquire my US citizenship? Does it make a difference?

I intend to retain Philippine citizenship as well, i.e. have dual citizenship. Is that a separate process I need to apply for at the Philippine embassy, or can I just keep both my (renewed) Phil passport

as well as my new US one when the time comes?

I tried checking the Phil. embassy website but the information on this is not clear.

Thanks in advance for your help.

In some countries you have to renew your passport 30 or 60 or 90 days prior to their expiration date.

As your Phillippine passport expires in Nov, I would look into that first.

I don't know anything about dual citizenship someone else can chime in.